Netflix's Sweet Magnolias has made a splash since its May 2020 release. With four seasons so far, the Netflix original series is going strong. The story is based on books by Sherryl Woods and focuses on single mom Maddie Townsend (Joanna Garcia Swisher) and her two best friends (Brooke Elliot and Heather Headley). Maddie starts the series off going through a divorce, trying to parent her three kids, and testing the waters of a new romance.

Sweet Magnolias may have a distinctive tone and unique characters, but the good news is, other shows portray similar themes and deliver just as much juicy drama. There are plenty of other shows out there, some short enough to binge-watch, if fans have already finished all that Sweet Magnolias has to offer so far and are wanting a show that will give them more stories and characters like it.

Firefly Lane (2021-2023)

Available To Stream On Netflix

Inspired by the novel by Kristin Hannah, Firefly Lane only has two seasons of episodes to stream, but it still has a lot of story packed into that time. The series has a timeline that covers more than 20 years.

Firefly Lane mostly shares the theme of female friendship with Sweet Magnolias. Both series highlight the bonds between women who grew up together and are unshakable, even as adults. The difference, however, is that while Sweet Magnolias focuses on three friends, Firefly Lane centers on two. It tracks their bond, which begins when they live on the same street as teenagers and continues all the way to being women in their forties.

Firefly Lane does not have the same small-town feel as Sweet Magnolias, but fans of the latter series who appreciate the exploration of the characters in the wake of big life changes...

Both shows also feature women navigating their lives while divorcing their long-time husbands and exploring the family and work dynamics that result. Firefly Lane does not have the same small-town feel as Sweet Magnolias, but fans of the latter series who appreciate the exploration of the characters in the wake of big life changes will enjoy Firefly Lane as well.

Dawson’s Creek (1998-2003)

Available To Stream On Hulu

A teen drama might not seem like it would have a lot in common with Sweet Magnolias, but the two series could easily be set in the same world, just at different points in time. Both series center on a group of close friends in a small town and both series follow milestone events in their lives.

Dawson’s Creek just happens to take place while those small-town kids are in high school and college. It follows the group as they come of age in a fictional New England town, exploring the friendship and romantic dynamics among the group. It also sees the group expand to include significant others and new friends, much like Sweet Magnolias. The characters of Sweet Magnolias, however, are dealing with their dynamics later in life, in much the same way the parents of the Dawson’s Creek characters would be.

Those who are enjoying Sweet Magnolias would enjoy watching Dawson’s Creek largely because it would be like turning back the clock. These are what the Sweet Magnolias characters could have been like 25 years earlier.

Reba (2001-2007)

Available To Stream On Hulu

Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) and Noreen Fitzgibbons (Jamie Lynn Spears) are clearly derived from Reba and Barbra Jean on Reba. JoAnna Garcia Swisher played Reba's daughter Cheyenne on the series, and Swisher and Spears have playfully called themselves the new Reba and Barbra Jean on social media.

Reba follows the titular character's blended family during the series.

She and her husband have divorced following his affair, but he and his new wife, the former mistress, move in right next door during the events of the show, and against all odds, the two women become the best of friends. The series also sees Reba's daughter Cheyenne become pregnant in high school and her boyfriend, who eventually becomes her husband, moves in with the family and works with Reba. It explores all manner of family dynamics in a humorous way.

Though Reba is a 2000s sitcom and Sweet Magnolias is a current drama, the obvious similarity (besides Southern drawl) is the issue of the other woman and the oft-aloof ex-husband. Consider Reba a comical counterpart to Sweet Magnolias.

Virgin River (2019-)

Available To Stream On Netflix

Virgin River is at six seasons on Netflix and shows no signs of slowing down. The streamer is even considering a spin-off series focusing on the parents of one of the main characters. The stories are based on Robyn Carr's romance novels and offer a romantic, remote landscape with the signature Netflix original touch.

The show is just as juicy as Sweet Magnolias but takes place on the West Coast. Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) is a nurse practitioner who moves from Los Angeles to a Northern California town called Virgin River. There, she becomes completely immersed in the life of the small town, earning the respect of the local doctor, who initially does not want her help, and falling for the local bar owner.

Virgin River has some soapier storylines, much like Sweet Magnolias. It also focuses on a woman trying to step into the next chapter of her life. Here, however, Melinda is not going through a divorce, but instead lost her husband in an accident, and lost a child to a miscarriage not long before that. There is a bit more tragedy in the series than there is in Sweet Magnolias, but similar themes are still explored.

Greenleaf (2016-2020)

Available To Stream On Netflix

Greenleaf thickens the gossip and pumps up the scandal. The drama is original to Oprah's cable network, OWN, on which it aired new episodes from 2016 to 2020. While the show will not return for a sixth season, Bustle reports that a spin-off is in the works, though it has been in development limbo since early 2024, so it is not clear if the spin-off is still on the way.

The show focuses on an African American family running a megachurch in Memphis, Tennessee. Faith and family are threatened by a web of lies, lust, and conflict. There are a lot of scandalous happenings present under the faith, so the show is definitely even more dramatic than Sweet Magnolias. Depart Serenity for a new corner of the South to see what brews behind the pews.

One big difference here is that the focus is on Southern life from a Black perspective. Sweet Magnolias might feature African American characters, but its stories are not told from the same point of view. Fans interested in seeing stories play out in the Southern United States will certainly get a more complete picture when watching the two shows back-to-back.

Heartland (2007-)

Available To Stream On Netflix

Heartland is an established Canadian drama set on a ranch in Alberta. It is one of the longest currently running family dramas. Based on Lauren Brooke's book series, the drama is about the Fleming sisters, their grandfather Jack, and ranch hand Ty. The series began back in 2007 and is still airing new episodes.

The hook in this show is not the female friendships though. Instead, it's the drama surrounding the horses.

Because of the length of the series, Heartland is not going to be a quick binge for Sweet Magnolia fans looking for something to watch between seasons. It does, however, feature plenty of small-town drama, undying friendships, and love stories for fans to look forward to. The hook in this show is not the female friendships though. Instead, it's the drama surrounding the horses.

Many of the show's big storylines stem from the horses - raising them, who is taking care of them, whether they are changing hands, etc. It adds a different feel to the stories here compared to Sweet Magnolias. Though the two sets of characters might live in similar places, their ways of life are very different.

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings (2019)

Available To Stream On Netflix

Dolly Parton has long been writing iconic songs, many of which have been used in movie soundtracks. Dolly Parton's Heartstrings is a special art form that brings to life eight of the singer's best songs. Each episode covers one song, beginning with "Jolene" and ending with "These Old Bones."

Because the series is an anthology, each episode has a brand new cast with a new set of characters. Many of the stories take place in different time periods as well. All of the episodes, however, have the same small-town feel as Sweet Magnolias and cover everything from female friendships to insecurity in relationships to family feuds.

The anthology series is original to Netflix, and fans can expect more great work from Dolly that the Sweet Magnolias would approve of--whether that is another season of Heartstrings, a new sitcom, or something else entirely. For now, they can take a break and learn what some of Dolly Parton's most beloved songs are really about.

Hart Of Dixie (2011-2015)

Available To Stream On Prime Video

Hart of Dixie aired on the CW for four seasons, and though fans might have wanted more from the show, it did give the audience a relatively complete story. Zoe Hart migrates from New York City to Bluebell, Alabama when she is invited to work as a general practitioner in a small practice after finding her burgeoning career as a heart surgeon not working out.

As the new doctor works in an unconventional practice, she uncovers secrets from her own past while working through intense love triangles. While the first season focuses on Zoe adjusting to life in the small town, the subsequent seasons allow for more exploration of the relationships in the small town. Though the show certainly focuses more on love triangles than character growth at times, it still has the same cozy small-town feeling of Sweet Magnolias.

Fans can see the best and the worst of her Hart of Dixie journey from beginning to end while waiting for the Magnolias to work theirs out.

Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

Available To Stream On Netflix

The famous WB show Gilmore Girls has been directly linked with Sweet Magnolias. Both shows set gossip and drama against a backdrop of small-town charm. Even though Sweet Magnolias is set in South Carolina and Gilmore Girls is in Connecticut, the shows have similar themes.

The town square where everyone knows everyone else's business is consistent in each series as Stars Hollow and Serenity both have that central meeting place where main characters and recurring characters alike can learn the latest gossip. Both towns are also places where everyone knows everyone, like most of the shows here. New England and the South have very different lifestyles, but the feeling is still the same.

Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Maddie are completely different, but they're both friends with chefs, are single moms, and they both run businesses. That helps to draw even more parallels between the shows as both women want what is best for their children, but also have their own dreams and friendships. After going through the first season with the Magnolias, it might just be time to revisit Stars Hollow.

Everwood (2002-2006)

Available To Stream On Prime Video

Everwood aired on the WB before the network became the CW. It chronicles a widower's move from Manhattan to a small town in Colorado. The widower is Dr. Andy Brown (Treat Williams), a surgeon with a 15-year-old son named Ephram and a 9-year-old daughter named Delia.

Everwood had two Emmy nominations during its run, which was rare for a WB series.

The series does a good job at balancing its relationship drama with its small-town drama. There are storylines featuring love triangles and the difficulty of moving on while still in love with someone else, but there are also storylines featuring how small-town gossip can affect the lives of the characters. Sometimes, those even intersect, much like in Sweet Magnolias.

It is nice that this series pays attention to both kid and adult problems, just like Sweet Magnolias does. Not all of the shows like Sweet Magnolias are able to balance both sets of storylines, but Everwood and Gilmore Girls both do.